Security lid for plating container

ABSTRACT

A security device for a plating container which prevents access to the contents of the container when it is supported from a support in a plating tank. The cover extends substantially over the entire area of the top of the plating container as well as around the supporting means. A flanged tab bar member extends through opposing sides of the cover and a side of the bar member opposite to that which is surrounded by the cover member to prevent the cover member from being moved away from the container. A locking device such as a padlock is employed to secure the flanged tab on the cover member.

Gonyo et a1.

Jan. 1, 11974 SECURITY L111) FOR PLATHNG CONTAHNER Inventors: Newell Joseph Gonyo, Milwaukee;

Kenneth Eugene Lower, Oconomowoe, both of Wis.

Assignee: Globe-Union llnc., Milwaukee, Wis.

Filed: Sept. 28, 1972 Appl. No.: 292,852

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Richard P. Tremblay Att0rneyJohn Phillip Ryan et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A security device for a plating container which prevents access to the contents of the container when it is supported from a support in a plating tank. The cover extends substantially over the entire area of the top of the plating container as well as around the supporting means. A flanged tab bar member extends through opposing sides of the cover and a side of the bar member opposite to that which is surrounded by the cover member to prevent the cover member from being moved away from the container. A locking device such as a padlock is employed to secure the flanged tab on the cover member.

1 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures I SECURITY LID FOR PLATING CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a security device for plating materials. More particularly, it relates to a lid type device which is removably secured over a plating tank so as to prevent access to the metal plating materials as they are disposed in the plating container.

Use of precious metal such as silver and gold in plating operations poses problems in a large factory in that they are apt to be stolen. It is therefore desirable to have a device which can be readily secured over a container for the plating metals. Security devices of the general type concerned with in this invention are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 716,204; 2,479,300;

2,709,037; 2,841,658 and 3,399,553. A guard for a water meter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 716,204 wherein U-shaped housings embrace pipe members and are secured on the pipe by means of removable keys or yokes with the U-shaped members forming a part of the upper guard member and the yokes in combination with the U-shaped member also retaining a lower guard member. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,300 locking members are described for preventing rotation of mounting screws thereby to prevent the removal of an outboard motor. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,709,037 a two-part locking cover is described for a coin bank whereas in U.S. Pat. No. 2,841,659 locking devices are described for preventing use of a telephone. A specific type protective cover for liquefied petroleum gas tanks is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,553 wherein a retaining means is locked in a nonrotatable manner to secure a cover over two gas tanks.

in the plating field, open-ended, perforated containers are employed wherein the plating materials, such as in the form of balls, are placed. These are readily accessible and can be easily removed. None of the prior art devices are adaptable for use in such plating containers to provide a simplified device which can be quickly placed over a supporting member such as a pipe and yet will extend toward or encompass the upper edges of the plating tank so that access to the plating materials cannot be obtained. All of the prior art devices compose multicomponents particularly adapted for specific purposes. None of them describe a security device for a plating container which is readily engageable around a pipe member yet its vertical and horizontal movement is restricted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel security device for a metal plating container. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a device which will prevent access to a plating container yet is readily placed thereover or removed. It is still another object of this invention to provide a removable lid type structure for a plating container which is easily locked around a bar member with the result that its vertical and horizontal movements are restricted. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a device which will prevent access to a plating container yet is composed of a minimum number of parts and can be fabricated inexpensively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The foregoing objects are accomplished and the short-comings of the prior art are overcome by the present device whereina cover member having a sup-. port engaging member and opposing panels is adpated to extend from a horizontal support member for a plating container and toward the container to enclose it as well as a portion of the walls comprising the container. A bar member having a flanged end extends from opposing wall surfaces of the panels and through an opening therein with the bar member having an opening for engagement with a locking device such as a padlock. The openings in the panels are positioned to permit insertion of the bar member at a position with respect to the horizontal support opposite to the side engaged by the support engaging member when the cover is placed over it with the openings being located so that when the bar member is placed therein, vertical movement of the cover is restricted. In a preferred embodiment, U- shaped members extend from the ends of the panel members with portions of the U-shaped members disposed inside and outside the container so as to restrict horizontal movement as well as rotation of the cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A better understanding of the present device will be afforded by reference to the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the security device engaging the upper portion of a plating container in a plating tank and disposed around a supporting member.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the security device in an assembled condition without engagement with a plating container or the supporting member.

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section of the device shown in FIG. 1 with the plating material shown in the form of balls in a plating container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Proceeding to a detailed description of the present invention, the security device, generally 10, as shown in FIG. 1 substantially encloses the top of a plating container 11 supported from a horizontal support bar or pipe 12 in the usual metal plating tank 14. Hook members l5 and 16 are secured in container 11 and provide support of the container from horizontal support member 12.

As will be best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the security device 10 is composed mainly of three parts: a cover member 20 with two lateral panels 21 and 22 which are joined at the top by a bridging section 23 and terminate in U-shaped foot portions 25 and 26 with the shoulder sections 27 and 28 resting on the upper, flat end wall surfaces 30 and 31 of plating container I1. The second part of the security device 10 is the flanged tab 32 which has a lateral flanged section 33 from which projects a handle or tab portion 34. At the opposite end of the flanged bar member is an opening (not shown) for engagement with the usual padlock 35, the latter forming the third component.

As will be particularly seen in FIG. 3, book 15 extends from and is embedded in the container II which contains the source of plating material which, in this instance, are silver balls 38. It should also be pointed out that the U-shaped foot members 25 and 26 are, in effect, formed by bending the lower portion of the side panels 21 and 22 at two right angles and extending in a transverse manner from the formed shoulder sections 27 and 28, internal wall members 40 and 41, respectively. Outside wall members 42 and 44 complete the U-shaped foot portions 25 and 26. Flanged bar member 32 is accommodated through wall panels 21 and 22 by elongated slots such as shown at 43 with a slot formed in each panel. The slots are so aligned and disposed so that when the cover 20 is placed over pipe 12 with engaging portion 23 surrounding it on one side, upward movement of the cover is restricted by engagement of the flanged bar 32 with pipe 12 on the other side. It will be noted that engaging portion 23 is fabricated in a unitary manner with side panels 21 and 22 and has substantially the same radius of curvature as pipe 12.

OPERATION A better understanding of the advantages of the security lid member 10 will be had upon a description of its operation. A security lid will basically be in the unassembled form, as shown in FIG. 2, except that the flanged tab 32 will not be inserted through the sidewall 22. With the plating container 11 supported on bar 12 by means of hooks l5 and 16, the cover member will be aligned and placed over the pipe 12 with the U- shaped foot sections 25 and 26 coming to rest on the upper surfaces 30 and 31 of the plating container 11 which has smooth side walls 48 and 49 adjacent top surfaces 30 and 31. Cover 20 is so constructed that when foot members 25 and 26 contact surfaces 30 and 31, respectively, engaging portion 23 will surround pipe 12 in a close manner. With the security lid device 10 so resting on the container, the flanged tab 32 will be inserted through the panel 22 and out through panel 21 whereupon the padlock 35 will be inserted in an appropriate opening in the flanged tab 32 to maintain it in a locked condition through the panels 21 and 22. In this position, it will be noted, and particularly with respect to FIG. 3, that any upward movement of the security lid 10 will be restricted by the flanged tab 32 contacting pipe 12. Any horizontal movement as well as rotation or spreading of panels 2] and 22 of the security lid device 10 will be restricted by U-shaped members 25 and 26 and particularly internal wall members and 41 contacting the inside of walls 48 and 49 and end walls 45 and 46 of plating container 11. It will be noted in FIG. 1, that while the panel members 21 and 22 do not completely enclose the top of container 11, they do to a sufficient degree, so as to prevent withdrawal of the plating balls 38 of any substantial size. To dissassemble or remove the security device 10, the preceding steps are merely reversed.

The preferred material for fabricating the cover 20 of the security lid 10 is Type 316 stainless steel. However, other metallic material such as Monel could be employed. Similarly, flange tab 32 is composed of Type 316 stainless steel. However, it could be made from Monel.

While cover 20 with side panels 21 and 22 is shown as not quite encompassing the entire upper portion of container 11, it could be so fabricated if desired. Flanged tab 32 is shown with a handle grip or tab section 32 for assisting in orientating the flanged bar member through the side walls 21 and 22, it would, if desired, be eliminated. Although U-shaped members 25 and 26 do afford maximum security when surrounding both the inside and outside of walls 48 and 49 as well as surfaces 30 and 31 in that lateral movement and rotation of cover 20 is restricted, it is not absolutely necessary for wall members 42 and 44 of the U-shaped members 25 and 26 to surround the outer side surfaces of walls 48 and 49. In this instance, a thick metal plate would be employed to prevent undesired inward bendmg.

It will thus be seen that through the present invention there is now provided a security device for a plating container which can be easily fitted over the container yet held in such a manner that access to the container is prevented. The security device is fabricated from a minimum number of parts yet is easily adaptable to different configurations of plating containers. No special molds need be designed to manufacture the components of the plating device, consequently, it is inexpensive to manufacture.

The foregoing invention can now be practiced by those skilled in the art. Such skilled persons will know that the invention is not necessarily restricted to the particular embodiments presented herein. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the terms of the following claims as given meaning by the preceding description.

We claim:

1. A security device for preventing access to the contents of a container having end wall and side wall surfaces and supported from a spaced horizontal support member comprising: a cover member having a horizontal support engaging member adapted to extend around said horizontal member on one side, opposing panels extending from said engaging member and surrounding said end wall and side wall surfaces of said container on the other side to prevent access to the contents of the container, an opening in each said panel and in substantial alignment, a bar member having a flanged end adapted to extend from the opposing wall surfaces of said panels and through said openings in said panels, an opening in said bar member opposite the flanged end and positioned to receive a locking device outside one of the panels, said openings disposed in said panels to permit insertion of said bar member on said other side of said horizontal support when said cover is placed over said support to restrict movement of said cover toward said support.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said panels and said engaging member of said cover member are formed from a unitary elongated U-shaped member with the head of the U-shaped member adapted to extend around said support member and said panels constructed to contact said end wall surfaces.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said horizontal support is composed of a section of rounded pipe and said engaging member is also rounded with substantially the same radius of curvature.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said end wall surfaces of said container are substantially flat and said end wall surfaces are adjacent substantially smooth side walls of said container.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein each lateral panel is fabricated with U-shaped foot portions adapted to extend over said end wall and side wall surfaces.

6. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said container includes hook members to suspend said container from said horizontal support.

7. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said bar member includes a tab portion extending beyond said flanged end.

8. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover is constructed and arranged to substantially cover the entire top of said container. 

1. A security device for preventing access to the contents of a container having end wall and side wall surfaces and supported from a spaced horizontal support member comprising: a cover member having a horizontal support engaging member adapted to extend around said horizontal member on one side, opposing panels extending from said engaging member and surrounding said end wall and side wall surfaces of said container on the other side to prevent access to the contents of the container, an opening in each said panel and in substantial alignment, a bar member having a flanged end adapted to extend from the opposing wall surfaces of said panels and through said openings in said panels, an opening in said bar member opposite the flanged end and positioned to receive a locking device outside one of the panels, said openings disposed in said panels to permit insertion of said bar member on said other side of said horizontal support when said cover is placed over said support to restrict movement of said cover toward said support.
 2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said panels and said engaging member of said cover member are formed from a unitary elongated U-shaped member with the head of the U-shaped member adapted to extend around said support member and said panels constructed to contact said end wall surfaces.
 3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said horizontal support is composed of a section of rounded pipe and said engaging member is also rounded with substantially the same radius of curvature.
 4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said end wall surfaces of said container are substantially flat and said end wall surfaces are adjacent substantially smooth side walls of said container.
 5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein each lateral panel is fabricated with U-shaped foot portions adapted to extend over said end wall and side wall surfaces.
 6. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said container includes hook members to suspend said container from said horizontal support.
 7. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said bar member includes a tab portion extending beyond said flanged end.
 8. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover is constructed and arranged to substantially cover the entire top of said container. 